Her grandmother, without pause, said, “You must always maintain an attitude of gratitude.”

Coming from someone who lived through almost every major event of the 20th Century; the Great Depression (and several major recessions), World War II (and others), the death of her husband, and more…I took notice.

Why should gratitude be the biggest takeaway after 100 years of life? Why should thinking about who and what we are grateful for make such a big difference in our lives?

For starters:

It reminds you to focus on the positive things in your life. We have people in our life we should be thankful for, whether they’re loved ones, a new friend, or just a stranger you met who was kind to you for a moment.

It flips bad things on its head. When I have a crappy day at work, I am thankful that I have work. I am grateful for life’s challenges; at least it’s not boring! I am grateful that I have learned a ton in my life through its challenges; I am a better person for them.

It reminds you of what’s important. It’s hard to complain about the little things when you give thanks that your children are alive and healthy. It’s hard to get stressed out over paying bills when you are grateful there is a roof over your head.

It reminds you to thank others. I’m trying to get better at this one. Saying “thank you” to someone can make a big difference in that person’s life. Calling them, emailing them, stopping by to say thank you … just taking that minute out of your life to tell them why you are grateful toward them is important to them. People like being appreciated for who they are and what they do. It costs you little, but makes someone else happy.

If you carve out 5 minutes of your day for a little gratitude session, you will gain perspective while all around you is chaotic.

Every day is different. I am grateful for something else each day.

How to Maintain an Attitude of Gratitude

I am nowhere close to maintaining the attitude my grandmother-in-law has. But I am trying.

If you’re interested in starting an attitude of gratitude, here are my suggestions:

Call to say thanks. Pick up the phone and call someone, just to say thanks for something they have done for you. Let them know what they did that you’re grateful for, and why you appreciate it. This takes 2 minutes. Even better is telling them in person, if you happen to see them or if they’re on your route.

Give thanks for “negative” things in your life. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night (or a daydream) shuddering at the thought of stupid or negative stuff that has occurred in my life; sometimes of my own doing! However, I would not be the person I am today without all the positive and negative things that have happened in my life. Giving thanks for those things is a great way to remind yourself that there is good in just about everything. Problems can be seen as opportunities to grow, to be creative.

I certainly am no master on maintaining this attitude, but I have resolved to start the journey. After all, we do have a lot to be thankful for.

Comments

To show gratitude, one has to slow down and appreciate all the positive things in life. With the internet and smart phones, we are constantly “busy” and no longer know how to just take a moment and appreciate life and the people in our lives. Just as we learned to use technological advancements to keep us informed 24/7, we have to learn to slow down and take a few moments to be thankful for what we have. Your grandmother-in-law learned to have an “attitude of gratitude” because she lived through hard times and learned to appreciate what she had/has. I am a firm believer in “positive thinking” and do practice an “attitude of gratitude” each day (even though I didn’t know there was a name for it). I find that if I’m thankful for the little things (a parking spot, someone holding a door for me), the negative people or things that happen aren’t such a big deal. You will also find that the more grateful you are, the nicer your life is

Great post. Tina is right that it is easy to forget what we have, and people are often reminded of it only once a year. I have been trying to find 3 positive things to my day, on every day, good or bad. Sometimes it is easier than others but there is ALWAYS something positive to be thankful for.

This is exactly what I need right now! Being a work-at-home mom makes is getting into my nerves for the past weeks now. I can’t seem to balance work and family time. I should not be complaining because there are a lot of people who don’t have a job and some don’t even have a family to go home to. Thank you!